Asking for a friend

  As the ECE field comes to the end of its first official cycle of the Continuous Profesional Learning process and the dreaded 'audit' process will begin to ensure that as professionals we are actually following the Early Years Education Act and engaging in the continual professional learning as set out by the College of ECE there are a lot of these questions popping up in social media groups.

 

I have blogged about this before and I will continue to do my best to help educate educators that if these were my friends I would suggest these friends might want to start by reading the Early Childhood Education Act 2007 and it’s amendments specifically around the College and CPL becoming mandatory and that it needs to be done with specific criteria of being implemented consistent engagement across all members so they are aware that the requirement that we engage in the CPL is mandated under that law by the Liberal government back in the day. Like it or not the College is doing what it was legally mandated to do by the government.

Changing the LAW isn’t likely going to happen so the CPL isn’t going anywhere cause the college doesn’t control the Act that governs them any more than we do. 

 
Like it or not if we want to enter or continue to work in the field this is a legal requirement now for continued employment.

As members of the CECE we are all responsible under those laws so when renewing ones membership and clicking off the boxes saying they are complying all these ‘friends’ are signing a legally binding document/contract upheld under that Act testifying that they are abiding by said law.

Lying on a legal document isn’t child’s play and while I am not a lawyer I would imagine the ramifications of doing so could far outweigh just a suspension from the college itself.

Also I would remind my ‘friend” that social media isn’t a “private conversation” even if the group says it’s private there are over 10,000 members in this group lurking and reading these posts. Of those 10,000 members could be college employees, employers or just anyone taking screenshots of all theses decorations of members of College claiming they refuse to engage so basically it’s a public forum so as professionals who are legally bound under professional ethics and standards code of conduct I would advice my friends to be mindful of what they are saying and how it might effect their professional standing with the college.

I would encourage my friend to just spend 10-20 minutes a month and just stay on top of it ... in an audit having 30 days to come up with 2 years of proof and documentation won’t be an easy feat while balancing all our other commitments. This is specifically true if one is trying to recreate documents that CHANGED in the past two years so if you no longer have the originals it will be clear you were note engaged in process all along by the forms you are forced to use to try to fake it! Plustrying to fake it last minute but it’s only going to get worse as the process moves forward and you have to come up with MORE than two years but up to FOUR years worth once we enter into next cycle.

I encourage all ECE to remember to be mindful of how they conduct themselves on social media and in public while representing themselves as an ECE. It is ok to 'disagree' with certain policies and procedures or even laws enacted by our government but please make sure to do so in a respectful and professional manner and make sure you are FOLLOWING the laws that govern us in meantime. There have been ECE who have been reprimanded for 'venting' in public about their work and others who have been fired by their employers - so while there might be a shortage of ECE that does not equate to job security to do whatever we please free of consequences. For those who follow the 'disciplinary committee' outcomes on the College of ECE they would be aware that their conduct outside of work is just as important as on the job conduct.

Try your best to have a great day fellow ECE - keep your cup full of positivity because we cannot pour from an empty cup!

Margaret

Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Much

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